Brother Joseph Again | What Did Joseph Smith Really Look Like? (LDS)

THINNING OF THE VEIL

THINNING OF THE VEIL

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Is there a real photograph of Joseph Smith? In this Latter-day Saint (LDS) episode, Tia Smith sits down with researcher Patrick Bishop and forensic artist Joseph Brickey to examine a daguerreotype hidden inside a family locket — passed down through Joseph Smith's own descendants — and their 25-year forensic case for whether it truly captures the face of the Prophet of the Restoration. This episode released on September 22nd, the anniversary of the angel Moroni's appearance to Joseph Smith,  traces how Joseph Smith's great-great-grandson Dan Larsen inherited the locket among Smith family heirlooms in 1992, thought it was a pocket watch, and finally opened it in 2020 to find a man's face inside. Bishop and Brickey walk through why the earliest daguerreotype photography (invented in 1839) makes an image of Joseph even possible, how Brickey built a 3D forensic reconstruction from the 1928 skull records and the death mask to test an anatomical match, and the artistic evidence from Sutcliffe Maudsley's portraits and Emma Smith's missing locket. Their findings are their own and are not endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — they invite you to weigh the evidence and decide for yourself. Both men also open up about the thinning-of-the-veil moments they experienced along the way, and Joseph Smith's own words: "By proving contraries, the truth is made manifest." Their documentary, Brother Joseph Again, releases in theaters October 9, 2026. If you've ever wondered what the Prophet Joseph Smith really looked like, this LDS conversation on the Joseph Smith daguerreotype will change how you picture him.

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Q: Is there a real photograph of Joseph Smith?
A: There is no universally accepted photograph, but a daguerreotype found inside a family locket handed down through Joseph Smith's descendants is the leading candidate. In this episode, researcher Patrick Bishop and forensic artist Joseph Brickey present their 25-year case that the image is an anatomical match for the Prophet — findings that are their own and not endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Q: What is the Joseph Smith daguerreotype and where did it come from?
A: A daguerreotype is the earliest form of photography, invented in 1839. This one was hidden inside a locket that Dan Larsen, a great-great-grandson of Joseph Smith, inherited among Smith family heirlooms in 1992 and only opened in 2020, discovering the image of a man inside (Patrick Bishop & Joseph Brickey, "Joseph Again," Thinning of the Veil, September 2026).

Q: How did forensic experts test whether the daguerreotype is really Joseph Smith?
A: Forensic artist Joseph Brickey built a 3D reconstruction of Joseph Smith's skull from the photographs and measurements taken when the Prophet's remains were exhumed in 1928, then compared it against the death mask and the daguerreotype. He concluded the image is an anatomical match — while inviting viewers to examine the evidence and decide for themselves.

Q: What does the search for Joseph Smith's face have to do with the thinning of the veil?
A: Both researchers describe spiritual, veil-thinning experiences during the project and tie them to Joseph Smith's teaching that "by proving contraries, the truth is made manifest" — the idea that truth is revealed line upon line, through testing. For Latter-day Saints, coming to know the Prophet's face is framed as one more way of drawing closer to him.

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